William Saunders (June 16, 1836 – September 13, 1914) was a Canadian agriculturalist, entomologist and pharmacist. He was a pioneer in Canadian agricultural science, led the establishment of the Experimental Farm System and served as its first director for almost 25 years. Saunders was born in Crediton, England, the son of James Saunders and Jane (Wollacott) Saunders. His father was a shoemaker and Methodist preacher. In 1848, when Saunders was twelve years old, the family emigrated to Canada and settled in London, Ontario. Saunders had little or no formal education in London but was instead apprenticed to a local druggist, John Salter. In 1855 when he was only nineteen, Saunders opened his own pharmacy which he eventually expanded into a wholesale pharmaceutical business that specialized in medicinal extracts made from plants. Saunders became a well-known and influential part of the pharmaceutical community in Canada and the United States. In 1867 he was a founding member and later president of the Canadian Pharmaceutical Society. He was an active member of the American Pharmaceutical Association, serving as president in 1877-1878. In 1871 he helped establish the Ontario College of Pharmacy and served as president for two years. He also lectured on materia medica (pharmacology) at the University of Western Ontario Less